About the High Line

The High Line is a new public park, built on an elevated 1930s rail structure located on Manhattan's West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street. The first section of the High Line opened to the public in June 2009. The High Line is property of the City of New York, and is maintained and operated by the non-profit Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

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Image courtesy fieldoperations.net

James Corner, principal and founder of James Corner Field Operations, the High Line project lead, will lecture on his recent and current works at the Cooper Union on Wednesday, December 9th.

In addition to the High Line, Corner’s work with Field Operations includes the current transformation of the 2,200-acre landfill site Fresh Kills on Staten Island, which will be one of the largest public parks in the world. James Corner Field Operations has received numerous awards, including the New York City Arts Commission Award for Excellence in Design and the Daimler-Chrysler Award for Design Innovation.

Admission is free for league members and the Cooper Union Students and Staff, and is $10.00 for non-members.

For someone who lives in Bayside, Queens, it’s quite the feat to become one of our “High Line Regulars” – folks that come to enjoy the park on a regular basis, or in Clifton’s case, nearly every single day! Huddled together in the Chelsea Market Passage on a breezy fall day, Clifton and I became acquainted over sips of hot chocolate.

JB: How did you first hear of the High Line?

CC: I have lived in New York my whole life, and first knew the High Line from walking under it, coming to the Chelsea galleries. But my love affair began in 2005 when I was a part of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, and their program for students was called ‘Redesign the High Line’. Our idea, funny enough, was a park. Our group wasn’t as outlandish as some of the other ones, but we wanted to bring back remnants of the old train line – bring old subway cars up and use them as cafés. I’ve been talking about it ever since. I love it.

Now through December 11th in the Chelsea Market Passage, you’ll find Organicoa–organic, sustainably-grown, pure hot cocoa.

Founders Matthew Pek and Brett Nidel created Organicoa especially for the High Line. Each cup of Organicoa’s hot cocoa is crafted with Dagoba cocoa beans (which are sourced through sustainable cacao farms), organic vegan cane sugar, and locally sourced organic milk. Their cups, lids, and sleeves are made from recycled and compostable materials.

On Friday the thirteenth, a group of planners, transportation experts, sociologists, and techies joined together for an intimate dialogue hosted by The Open Planning Project (TOPP) and the Regional Planning Association (RPA). Perched on top of 148 Lafayette, we gathered to discuss “New Technology for Participatory Planning”. A series of “lightning talks” revolved around the potential of evolving technologies to simultaneously address planning challenges and open communication barriers.

New Technology for Participatory Planning conference. Ideas for take-away discussions.

The Open Planning Project acts as an advocate and resource for those who wish to understand the planning of cities around them. TOPP is about to launch a new community-based planning tool using open-source software, where those interested in planning can converge online.

The City of Vancouver could potentially redevelop its twin viaducts, Georgia and Dunsmuir, as public open space, according to a recent article in Vancouver’s Georgia Straight. Former Vision Vancouver councilor Jim Green imagines these two overpasses as Canada’s first “High Line-style promenades.” However, others at the City are pushing for the viaducts to be torn down and replaced with office and residential buildings.

Green states, “One of the things that we could do is to make bicycle lanes and pedestrian park space up there…You could really enliven two different areas of Vancouver.” The existing land holds two sports arenas and connects downtown Vancouver to Strathcona, one of the city’s oldest residential neighborhoods. The viaducts were originally built in 1913 for streetcars, and were incorporated in 1972 into Vancouver’s freeway system.

Will Vancouver build Canada’s first elevated pedestrian park, and join the growing ranks of other international cities following in the footsteps of the High Line? Stay tuned…

Here’s a nice one for the High Line’s trophy case. Co-Founders Joshua David and Robert Hammond, along with architect Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, were honored with inclusion in Out Magazine’s annual Out 100, joining the likes of Pedro Almodovar, Wanda Sykes and Tony Kushner, among others.

The honorees were photographed by Jason Bell on the High Line as “the Young Botanists”, fitting with the spread’s “Class of 2009” theme, a chic and cheeky nod to high school cliques.

Yesterday, the High Line staff celebrated Thanksgiving early with a farewell potluck in honor of our seasonal staff (a sample of the myriad of delicious dishes is pictured above). High Line gardeners Au’brey Gill, Meg Graham, and Maryanne Stubbs will part from us during the dormant winter months.

Their hard work and green thumbs helped make our opening season an exceptional one. Everyone at Friends of the High Line is thankful to have worked with them.